Popular Plea chooses Moenchenglabach

Borussia Moenchengladbach announced on Friday that they had signed French striker Alassane Plea on a five-year deal.

German media said the Bundesliga team had paid between 20 million and 25 million euros (between $23 million and $25 million) for the 25-year-old, who had reportedly attracted interest from a host of Premier League clubs.

"We're delighted that this transfer has gone through and that our efforts to beat off a number of prestigious other clubs have been rewarded," Gladbach's sporting director Max Eberl told the Bundesliga website.

Plea began at Lyon before joining Nice in 2014. He had a breakout year last season, playing alongside Mario Balotelli, scoring 16 goals in 34 appearances in Ligue 1.

In all, he scored 44 goals in 135 matches for the Riviera club.

"Alassane desperately wanted to come to Borussia," Eberl said. "He's a versatile, fast and intelligent forward who has already underlined his qualities in Ligue 1 and in the Europa League."